There is nothing miserable about 'Les Misérables'

For me, I am a huge musical theater nerd. I love it and I can’t get enough of it.

That being said, I am not usually a fan of the big screen adaptations of the genre.

From Phantom of the Opera to Rent, I have been disappointed with what Hollywood has done with the musicals I have enjoyed for so long.

Now Phantom and Rent were okay, they just lacked in performances and missed what was important in any good musical: emotion.

That brings me to Les Misérables. My introduction to the Les Mis world has been a long time coming. I don’t know why but it took a long time for me to see what the big commotion was all about with this musical.

When I saw it for the first time, I was hooked.

Then I saw that they were bringing it to the bring screen.

At first I was apprehensive. I have been burned before getting excited over an adaption only to feel disappointed afterwards.

So I started watching for news on the production and slowly built up my expectations.

Casting Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean was wonderful and I was on board for Anne Hathaway as Fantine. I was even okay with Amanda Seyfried as the adult Cosette and Eddie Redmayne as Marius.

One point of casting that had me scratching my head was Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert.

I was a bit put off by this casting. I didn’t think it would work and several of my other theater nerds started to support my hypothesis.

Then I remembered one little detail that I always seem to forget about Crowe: this guy has won an Oscar for best actor in a leading role.

I don’t know why but that bit of information put me at ease.

So I was open to the casting of Crowe in such an important role.

Anyway, as I sat down to finally view the film I was excited to see what the film makers would do to change my perception of their handling of musical theater.

Let’s just say, for once, I wasn’t disappointed.

Actually I was blown away by the scope of this film and the quality of the performances by each and every actor. Okay, maybe not all of them but I will get back to that.

First off, the look of the film itself was extraordinary. I felt like I was swept back into 19th-century France. It was a wonderous site to behold and the quality of the sets only enhanced the performances.

Speaking of performances, I was overwhelmed by Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway in their roles as Valjean and Fantine, respectively. The amount of emotion each of these actors emote was incredible and moving. I believed they were these characters not just actor portraying them.

I mean when you first see Jackman as Valjean you will be shocked. My wife and I looked at each other in disbelief. He didn’t look anything like himself.

Now back to Crowe, the perceived weak link of the cast. I gotta tell you, though not perfect, I really enjoyed his interpretation of Javert. He stood toe to toe with Jackman and didn’t back down. His final scene at the bridge was one of the highlights of the movie.

Like I said, it wasn’t a perfect film. Some of the musical numbers that I loved in the theater version didn’t win me over with the screen interpretation.

The one that struck me the most was “Master of the House” performed by Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thénardier and Sacha Baron Cohen as Thénardier. Oh it was funny at times but it seemed to lack the tempo and confidence of the theater production.

Also, I felt that Amanda Seyfried’s performance as the adult Cosette was wooden at times. Although, the final scene with Valjean and her chemistry with Marius were beautiful. It was just when we first meet her, she came off a bit apprehensive and unsure of herself. Like she didn’t believe she had won the role.

Luckily she builds up to the final scenes and hits those out of the park.

For me, this was the pinacle of musical theater adaptations. I was overjoyed from beginning to end. It really moved me and I felt that the cast and crew should be commended for all their hard work.

If you liked the musical and are looking for a great adaptation of said musical, give this version of Les Misérables a chance. It is well worth it.